Arguments can be passed to your script just like regular commands. This makes your scripts much more flexable.
Summary
- $# - Number of args
- $* - List of args
- $n - Each arg by number (n)
- shift - Remove first argument and shift the others down
The $# Variable
The $# variable has the number of arguments passes stored in it.
The $* Variable
The $* variable returns a list of all the arguments.
The $n Variable
The $n variable is used to reference each argument in the order they are given on the commandline. $1 is the first arg, $2 is the second, and so on. For argument higher than 9 you can use curly brackets. For example, the 10th argument is ${10}.
The shift Command
The shift command replaces the value of $1 with $2, $2 with $3, etc.